Deep Thoughts on DIY From the Dog

Note: Please welcome Julia Thomson as a new contributor to That Mutt. She maintains the blog Home on 129 Acres and will be writing for That Mutt every other Tuesday.

Home improvement, renovations and DIY are big parts of our life at Home on 129 Acres. The whole family gets involved. Whether you have four paws or two hands, you’re part of the crew.

So scenes like the one below play out regularly with our dog Baxter and our cat Ralph.

“I’d help you put up those curtain rods, but I don’t have a drill.”

Uh-huh? What about no thumbs, no vertical reach and a tendency to spend most of your time asleep, dude?

“You think a paintbrush makes up for not giving me a drill? This pooch likes power tools, lady.”

“Oh, and you made fun of my thumbs and my height. You’re on your own for painting that mirror. This is what I think of your paintbrush.”

“Ahhhh… dreamland, where doggies have drills… and thumbs.”

With Baxter’s help (or perhaps despite it), our most recent project—a guest room makeover—is now complete.

And as much as I make fun of him, I have to say that the various projects we tackle around the farm are a good way to spend time with Baxter. He’s learned to tolerate loud noises, trust that we’ll keep him safe (even when I’m climbing around him swinging a long curtain rod over his head) and to be patient while we’re working.

What hobbies do you share with your dog?

Julia Thomson is a blogger at Home on 129 Acres where she writes about country living and DIY renovating. Check out her suggestions for off-leash hiking with your dog here.